It’s official: Mettenberger to miss LSU’s bowl game with knee injury

LSU confirmed via a press release Wednesday afternoon that quarterback Zach Mettenberger will not play in the Tigers’ bowl game due to a knee injury. The school declined to disclose the specific nature of the injury, although the reports indicated it was a torn ACL.

As Mettenberger is a senior, his collegiate career has come to an end.

“We are very disappointed for Zach,” head coach Les Miles said in a statement. “He’s been a tremendous leader for our team and he’s as a competitive a guy as I have ever been around. He’s had a great impact on our program.

“I know Zach will work extremely hard to rehabilitate his knee and I don’t anticipate this injury having any impact on what should be a great future in the NFL.”

After playing sparingly in 2011, Mettenberger won the starting job in 2012 and had started the past 25 games for the Tigers.

Mettenberger is the only LSU quarterback to pass for 2,500-plus yards in back-to-back seasons, and just the third to top the 3,000-yard mark. He suffered the injury that ended his collegiate career in the regular-season finale against Arkansas, less than 30 yards from setting a single season school records for passing yards.

Sucks for Mett, but a blessing in disguise for LSU. They now get several weeks of practice and a game to help fun next years QB.

clonefan says:Dec 4, 2013 3:01 PM

I hope and pray that Zach recovers fully and can have a long NFL career, but I am guessing that he has dropped a bit in the draft. As a Vikings fan (oh, that hurts), Zach was one of the QB’s that I liked, but I am not sure I want to take hime with a high draft pick now after watching him go off the field injured two years in a row. Other than the injuries. I really liked him as a possibility. I wish him well and hope that where ever he goes in the draft, even if it turns out to be free agent, he can beat the injury bug and have a long productive career. Think Adrian Peterson…..

He gave it his all thruout the entire Season and put his heart into every game. I was so hopin he had just a strained knee but knew when he was all but crawlin off there was more to it than than than that. Bless his heart over time he was in so much pain and wasn’t ready to throw in the towel. Zach’s one of those who plays with his heart. 8to8texansblog, indeed he’s overcome adversity and handled it well. Here’s hopin he if he does he doesn’t slide too far in the Draft.

Wishful thinking on not falling too far. At best he wa a id second to third round pick, now he will probably be late to free agent signee, and not just because of his injury.

While the injury does increase his falling he just doesn’t fit the mold of what teams are looking for in the NFL. he’s a drop back passer not a runner like wilson, kap, rgIII and 9, cam, or ej manuel.

This could be a good think because he could chose a decent tea to go to where he doesn’t have to become the sole savior of a team like cleveland or dallas.

monsterright says:Dec 5, 2013 7:31 AM

This is such a shame. I was concerned that all of his emotions after the game were because he knew it was his last as a Tiger. Hope he recovers fast and finds a good fit in the NFL so he can get the momentum he found with Cameron going again.